


After the Russians

by Konbini



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Angst, Deals with Arthur forced to kill the train men, Deals with Arthur's assault by Tatiana, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:21:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25982026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Konbini/pseuds/Konbini
Summary: Tommy and John think Arthur is getting soft and weak. They have no reservations about letting him know this.When Alfie's brought on board to help with Tommy's plan against the Russians, he's more amused than anything at the opportunity to get one up on the Shelby's. It's a plus that he gets to torment the eldest brother again.Alfie's maybe a little shocked how Arthur is regarded by his own brothers. Later, he's more than a little shocked at the consequences of his own betrayal on this soft man.
Relationships: Arthur Shelby/Alfie Solomons
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	After the Russians

Alfie's often been told he has a strange way of showing affection. This, he concedes.

He fucking likes the guy.

Arthur Shelby.

He likes Tommy too, there's friendship there, but something about the eldest Shelby makes something volatile light in the pit of Alfie's stomach.

He gets a bit sadistic.

When they've first met, right? Arthur is all enthusiastic and incautious and the only thing that Alfie respects about him is how hard he fights. How resiliently he takes his lickin'.

But that's no surprise. Thomas Shelby had sat right a-fucking-cross from him with blood dripping out his nose like he didn't just rupture something.

So - the Shelby men are made of tougher stuff. No surprise there.

And always Alfie is so amused when plans come together, when he double-triple crosses, when he pulls the wool over someone's eyes. It's all in good fun.

He's just mischievous - a bit. And of course always there is Business. Which trumps it all, really. He isn't a man who lets friendship get in the way of pounds.

So when Tommy includes him in his harebrained scheme (a master jeweler, what a part to play) and Alfie learns he'll in part be working alongside Arthur - he's fucking tickled.

The man is as volatile as Alfie himself, wears his emotions so plainly. So openly, unable to hide them. Every tick of displeasure or unsurety known. Alfie thinks it'll be fun to watch such a man be forced to swallow his pride.

And he's right. It is fun.

It's downright hysterical when Tommy leads them all into his study and Arthur first sees him, pauses and rears back like a startled cat, and promptly flees. If he didn't want Alfie to chase him, in a manner of speaking, then he shouldn't have run. Chase, Alfie does.

Torments.

And Arthur Shelby is a work of art. Rather than Tommy - who is a piece of work.

Arthur is conviction, fury, humiliation, coyness, reluctance, deference all rolled into one.

When Alfie says, "That's the finished article right there." he means it.

Arthur is a thing to behold. At once both vulnerable and utterly capable.

It's not his fault it comes out condescending.

When they're alone, Alfie tries not to be obvious.

"What's with that brother of yours, eh?" Alfie asks.

Tommy stares at him like he's grown a second head.

"He a fucking sapper, like you were?" Alfie continues.

"Yeah, he was." Tommy says pointedly, like he thinks Alfie is trying only to irritate him with no meaning beyond.

Which perfectly suits Alfie.

"Might have been nice to have a man like that under me during the war." Alfie was a captain after all.

"Captain." Tommy intones in a way that reminds Alfie of someone rolling their eyes in exasperation.

There's reasons Alfie doesn't like the Russians.

His mom, for one.

And this fucking Duke. His reputation precedes him.

He doesn't envy the Peaky boys having to stay for the orgy.

And of-fucking-course because he doesn't, his car breaks down. His driver is all apologies on the side of the road, three quarters of a mile from the house.

Alfie could go back but he doesn't. His driver goes to make a call at the next house - as Alfie instructs - while Alfie himself lays in the back seat, gun tucked against his chest.

Dawn's breaking before his lazy sod of a driver is back. He can hear cars traveling past until one pulls up behind him.

He tenses, waiting.

But then it's just Tommy.

"You in there Alfie, ey?"

"Know my car on sight do you?"

"Do you want a ride or not?"

There's John Shelby waiting in the car and in the back Alfie can make out Arthur.

"Thought you'd never ask, mate."

Alfie is not a small man. He invades the back seat.

Arthur tucks himself against his door, his little undisturbed corner.

It's endearing, is what.

Alfie didn't get to where he is, though, by not knowing how to read a room.

Arthur seems to be drowning in shame, adam's apple bobbing every so often, he's missing a button or two. John Shelby seems to be glowering in vicious satisfaction. And Tommy is easy and superior as always.

Alfie recognizes the expression on John's face a second before he opens his mouth to even say anything.

"Still got your knickers in a twist there brother?"

Arthur's heated shame goes pale and he chances a cautious glance at the stranger in the car.

It occurs to Alfie that Arthur inspires this reaction - to chase - in not only him but possibly everyone. Prey being cornered by predator. Something thrilling.

"As out of order as the rest of him." Alfie answers. It's obvious Arthur is twisted up about something.

Arthur tries to speak and fails, seemingly too ashamed to conjure anything up.

"Think Linda will notice the buttons Arthur?" John continues, bitter and vicious amusement. Like a spurned lover.

Arthur hunches in on himself. Alfie finds the dichotomy amusing. Really all things concerning Arthur Shelby are amusing.

"Gentlemen we have a guest." Tommy reminds, probably to keep the subjects savory. Instead it only arouses Alfie's curiosity.

"I don't mind at all Tommy." Alfie says, overacts it maybe, in his way, "Although it seems to me Arthur here is not the good Christian boy he's lead us all to believe he is."

Arthur looks positively stricken. Even more than when Alfie had punched him in the stomach. It makes Alfie pause for the space of a second.

John snorts.

"More like the Devil's whore. Isn't that how Linda would phrase it Arthur?" John asks, it has a thin veil of amusement but there's something more insidious there, "And you and Linda don't keep any secrets right?"

"John." Tommy warns. Which, good. Alfie's been trying to teach Tommy caution for ages now and he's only just getting it.

At the most inconvenient time. Alfie wants to hear every detail of Arthur's ill advised tryst.

The expression on Arthur's face hinders Alfie's enjoyment though.... it'd be heartbreaking if Alfie was one to use such flowery language. He's so shamed he can't even speak.

"Rather antagonistic, that." Alfie observes, "Thought you Peaky boys didn't care about loyalty in the bedroom."

Tommy stiffens at the reproach, John sniffles unhappily.

"We don't." John bites back eventually, "But we do care about loyalty to one another."

That gets Arthur talking.

"When have I ever not been -"

"More loyal to Linda than you are to me." John spits heatedly, but rears back a second later like he didn't mean to say it. He amends quickly, "To us."

"Yeah, well -" Tommy says, in an uncharacteristically antagonizing way, "not anymore, eh?"

Alfie has walked in on a family quarrel. It's interesting, to see beneath the veneer so to speak. A tiny bit amusing maybe.

Arthur looks supremely troubled.

"If you'd not brought me there..." the words are nearly mute.

Tommy looks angry at the implication, from what Alfie can see from the backseat. Before Tommy has the chance to speak though Alfie cuts in.

"I find that kind of behaviour disgusting." Alfie begins, backhandedly dulcet because he just can't seem to help himself, "As does Arthur. Yet he partook. Surely you're both thrilled with the wedge it has driven between him and his awful wife. Surely you can let him wallow in shame and misery without taunting him further."

Alfie doesn't miss how insane it is that he's shielding Arthur Shelby. It's much too telling. He blames it on the man's eyes. The inward curl of his shoulders.

John looks furious but it's Tommy who speaks on their behalf.

"You'll excuse me if I don't take that seriously coming from you Alfie. Or did you forget I had to make Arthur heel as you down talked him?"

This back and forth banter is easier, familiar.

"Well, you mate, let your brother be down talked to." Alfie sees Arthur wince from the corner of his eye.

"He rather let himself be down talked to." Tommy returns, too much heat.

"He's gone fucking soft." John interjects.

Arthur swallows and turns his face to the window.

"Is that why you did it Tommy? To tear Linda and me apart?" Arthur's words are shaky and faint, "Is that why you let it happen? Because I've gone soft?"

Let.

The way Arthur phrases the question Alfie finds rather troubling.

Let.

Cogs begin turning in Alfie's brain.

"No one forced you to fuck the maid afterwards." Tommy says nastily.

Alfie's not sure he's ever seen Tommy this passionate.

"I just needed to feel...to feel not like how that made me feel." Arthur tries to explain haphazardly, desperate and now very troubled. He continues to stare out the window.

No one responds.

"Always being made to...made to...do things. Awful things." Arthur chokes quietly into the silence.

A picture begins to form in Alfie's mind's eye. The Duke who's reputation proceeds him. Arthur, delicate like fine china and Tommy with his hand on the leash. Unfortunately he voices his suspicions based on his sudden conviction, without thinking it through.

"You left him alone," Alfie begins lowly, addressing Tommy, stomach falling, "with the Duke - to do as he likes - and when he's some sort of mess afterwards, has a moment of weakness, you take advantage of that."

Alfie's voice trembles a little at the end, rife with emotion. He's unbearably outraged until Tommy speaks.

"I didn't leave him alone with the Duke." Tommy snaps, shocked.

Just the suggestion of such a thing seems to suck the air out of the entire vehicle.

Arthur is tense beside Alfie, chances a small glance at him.

"Then what happened?" Alfie asks immediately.

"John and I were there the whole time. And it wasn't the Duke. It was only Tatiana." Tommy says it dismissively, and Alfie doesn't have a clue why.

"You were both fucking there?!" Alfie asks in disgust, "And what? You allowed your brother to be molested? Let's add some extra trauma to this event, is that what you were fucking thinking?"

"Why do you fucking care about my brother anyway?" John spits from the front seat.

"As I said, Alfie," Tommy says shortly, overly calm, "it was only Tatiana."

"And you fucking think that makes it any better?" Alfie spits out even though it's apparent it's exactly what Tommy thinks.

Arthur addresses Alfie then, and it's a surprise.

"She - " he begins, but chokes on the words, looking contritely at Alfie, "she only touched me a little."

The embarrassment is at least a welcome change from the shame. And Arthur is scowling through his blush.

"Tommy let her?" Alfie asks softly.

It's an intimate moment, like it's just them, eyes on eyes. Like Tommy and John aren't even there either. Alfie stares maybe a bit too long.

"I can fucking take care of myself." Arthur says with fervor but a distinct lack of conviction.

"Aye, he's so fucking soft now I guess he needs us to take care of him, eh Tommy?" John says.

Alfie didn't mean it like that.

He'd meant, he guesses, that Arthur deserved to be taken care of. Something about him seems to cry out for it. And, of course, that he deserved some fucking loyalty.

Tommy puffs on his cigarette harder than usual and Alfie knows exactly what he's thinking.

Didn't know you had so many fucking hangups Alfie.

Alfie does though. It doesn't sit right with him. Arthur being taken apart in front of his brothers by the Russians.

Fuck the Russians, Alfie thinks.

He thinks about Arthur in prison for the space of a second before he brushes the thought away. It's not like he's the only one who ever put Arthur there. He refuses to feel bad about it.

In the end Alfie decides to tuck the matter away. It's not worth quarreling with Tommy over at the moment.

The rest of the way is as silent as the grave.


End file.
